


Cheering Squad

by Eastofthemoon



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Families of Choice, Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor, Papa Bunny, rotg month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 21:12:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8505631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: Jack loved his foster family, he really did, but did they really have to insist dressing like THAT for his first hockey game? (for ROTG Month)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic for ROTG Month and with today’s prompt being Modern AU, I ended up writing this little snippet. Maybe someday I’ll write more for this AU, but here’s a little idea of it for now.

Jack honestly loved his foster father. Sure, Aster could be a grouch sometimes, but, hey, he certainly had more patience than the other foster parents Jack had been with in the past. He half wondered if Aster refused to give up out of pure stubbornness.

Then of course, there were Tooth, North and Sandy, who were close enough friends to Aster that they viewed Jack as their own child as well. Jack had to admit, he had been beginning to view the three of them as his adoptive aunts and uncles.

For the first time, Jack felt like he had the family he had been waiting for and was beyond happy. Yet, all blissful feelings Jack had brewing inside him vanished when he came down the stairs, hockey gear in hand, and saw his guardians in the living room waiting for him.

Jack had no words, although confusion was certainly near the top.

Aster was grouchy as normal, but Jack figured anyone would be when wearing a hockey jersey twice their size and had their face covered in blue and yellow paint. Sandy was dozing on the couch, but he was also wearing the same attire. North also had the same face paint, but his jersey actually fit, and Tooth stood proudly beside as she seemed to try to figure out how the giant foam finger worked.

Jack scratched his head as he entered. “Um...did I miss a late Halloween party or something?”

Aster raised his head and sighed. “No, and for the record this is all North’s idea.”

_That still doesn’t explain anything!_ Jack thought and looked to North. _“So..what is this?”_

North laughed. “Is it not obvious?” he said. “We are rooting for your team to win tonight.”

“Okay,” Jack said as it slowly became clearer as he held to his bag. “But isn’t this a bit extreme?”

“Nonsense,” Tooth said with a huge smile. “It’s your first game of the season and we wanted to make sure it started off properly.”

Jack blushed slightly. He wasn’t use to getting this much encouragement from adults. Well, his former foster father, Pitch, did a times, but it was usually for his own benefit and it was never to this extent.

“Da,” said North as he waved a flag. “And this way it will be easy to spot us up in stands as you play on the ice.”

Jack froze. “What?” His eyes widened. “You mean..you’re all going..like this?”

“Of course!” North exclaimed so loud Sandy awoke slightly. “We would not miss this for world.”

That was when it dawned on Jack. They were going out in public..like this..where all his friends from school could see. Oh. God.

He held his expression of horror as he looked to Aster. “You agreed to this?!”

Aster sighed as he rubbed his eyes. “They overwhelmed me, and before I knew it I had this stuff on.”

Jack rubbed his eyes. He could not believe this.

“So, let’s get going,” Tooth said. “I want to make certain we get good seats.”

Jack chewed his bottom lip. Should he say something? If they all showed up like that with him in tow, he was going to die of embarrassment, but they all looked so hopeful. Jack didn’t want to ruin that and their hearts were in the right place.

Aster raised an eyebrow and coughed as he rose. “One sec,” he said as he wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulder and steered him out of the room. “Just got ta give the kid a pre-game pep talk.”

The others exchanged baffled looks, but didn’t question it as Aster lead Jack to the front door.

Jack sighed as Aster let him go. “Aster, look I-”

“Get going, I’ll stall them,” Aster whispered.

Jack blinked. “What?”

“Go, take a shortcut through the Bennett’s yard. I’ll take the blame if ya get in trouble, and I’ll try ta give ya a head start.”

Jack paused as his brain registered what Aster was suggesting. “You’re certain?”

“I get this is a bit overwhelming,” Aster said, “but lots of parents do this. Once the game starts and everyone is in their seats cheering, they won’t even blink at them.”

Jack grasped his chin. “But the trick is for them to arrive AFTER the game starts.”

“Ya got it,” Aster said as he shoved the 14 year old out the door. “Now GET GOING!”

Jack nodded as he proceeded to sprint down the sidewalk at top speed.

This did make it not as humiliating for Jack, although he still was going to blush like crazy when he saw all of them up in the stands.

“Oh, well,” he muttered. “I suppose getting embarrassed by your parents is a sign they are my family.” 

The thought warmed him as he ran and almost forgot about the chill in the air.


End file.
